In what has to go down as the Least Surprising ConclusionTo An Entertainer’s Biographytm of all time, TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson has taken the Big Moon Walk at the tender age of 50.
(LA Times confirms)
* And don’t waste your time or mine piling on. You know what I’m talking about.
Update: Prize for the best backhanded obituary of the day goes to Associated Press…
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters.
h/t Ed S.
Update 2: – Racist!
One last comment:
A “tragic childhood” is a 4 year old in Bangladesh with retinoblastoma. A “tragic life” is a Russian teenager sold into the sex trade.
Michael Jackson did not have a tragic childhood, nor did he have a tragic life.
He had the life he chose.
To excuse his behavior as though it was simply a pre-programmed result of his years as a child performer is not just intellectually lazy, it’s an insult to every individual who has overcome true childhood hardship, deprivation and/or abuse to emerge as a functioning member of society.
Michael Jackson was no bobbing cork on the sea of circumstance – he was a multi-millionaire with the means to choose any lifestyle he wanted. “Functional adult” was one of the options. He chose otherwise.
Celebrate the music if you like, but for decency’s sake, don’t celebrate the man.
Right on Ardvark, poor Farrah won’t even make a 24 hour news cycle now.
In the meantime, the HBO State-Run Media is declaring Jackson a Pop Icon who loved Lil Boys. Ironic ?
Ok, can’t help myself.
What does Wal-Mart and Michael Jackson have in comon ?
They both have boys pants half off.
,
Allahpundit tweets:
Crowd milling about aimlessly outside the hospital reminds me of mall shots in “Dawn of the Dead”
How much of his success was due to his own talent, and how much to the talent of Quincy Jones?
I’m just askin’.
Jackson and Mike Tyson share some things in common. Both were great talents in their own right, but both received poor guidance, and both were in one way or another taken advantage of (Tyson especially).
I think Jackson became a total freak later on in life, but the news of his passing still made me pause for a bit. Seems like only yesterday when I was in high-school and he was all the rage.
There’s some sadness to this news which I cannot fully explain (in stark contrast to when Trudeau passed away and I couldn’t stop celebrating).
Time marches on too quickly, and we get older whether we like it or not.
Vitruvius said “Mr. Jackson didn’t get a chance to play, in the way that a normal child plays, when he was very young.”
Like a lot of very talented people MJ suffered from too much family interference while young and not enough family interference as a grown up. He was traumatized and the defense mechanisms that he learned early in life were probably his downfall later in life.
A talented individual — no doubt. Also an argument for the strict enforcement of child labour laws which the entertainment industry (and here I include sport, both professional and amateur) consistently manages to skirt. It would be interesting to see an actuarial analysis of the risks associated with being used as a child star.
As ‘Archie B’ might say…”Spare me the soon to be released “carpet bombing” of ‘urologies’ “. I feel no loss.
Vitruvius, as always, I respect your opinion.
,
Come on,Mikey’s death is as tragic as anyone elses today,the man was a rich diddler.
Jacko made history, recorded History and now he is history.
As for Farrah, she singlehandedly helped me through puberty.
She’ll be missed.
Vitruvius wrote: “No, Harry, he was not autistic in any way. Mr. Jackson didn’t get a chance to play, in the way that a normal child plays, when he was very young. As a result, he did not mature normally. This is a well-known phenomenon, and I find it hard not to appreciate a certain sadness there. He also did some interesting things in the fields of professional entertainment and music, which is what it is. I will say this, though: if you aren’t listening to the following at about 110 dB while roller-skating on a Saturday night in 1979, then you probably don’t understand what Mr. Jackson did so very, very well 😉
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Vitruvius nailed it with this comment.
Interesting that that’s the song I would have picked too…
He did some bad stuff, but he didn’t kill anyone, thankfully. Think Willy Pickton. Jackson was a child himself. I don’t think he ever had a reason to grow up.
Thriller was the best LP ever. Well, next to any Steely Dan LP.
Can you imagine the autopsy?
How many fake bodyparts? The vitiglio he supposedly had, all the answers at last.
A very gifted person with enormous problems.
Am not going to judge him. That task is already assigned.
RIP Farrah and Michael.
Reminds me of when Elvis died. Presley hadn’t had a hit in years, was a bit of a reclusive weirdo, and was loaded to the teats on prescription pills when he suddenly died. Wonder if the king of pop was also found on his “throne”?
In other words, Lisa Marie must be stopped before she kills again.
I thought MJ was living in the Middle East where he converted to Islam and its ok to do little boys. When did he get back to LA? Does this mean he will have a Muslim funeral?
My God, he’s not even dead 24 hours and there having Micheal Jackson sales…..
“Boys underware…half off”
Lol, I just told a friend, “I bet you any money I can go to smalldeadanimals and Kate mcmillian will have lept to the computer to write something angry, insensitive, and arrogant with regard to all of this” and like clockwork she has. Too predictable she is. Hahaha!
Twittering a revolution.
I can’t believe Jacko death overstretching twitter. Alarmed that we might not be able to organise in a V imp week. #iranelection #iran #gr88about
[oxfordgirl]1 hour ago from web
8 of 10 trend topics abt 1 man in 5 hrs. 0 of 10 abt a nation that have innocent ppl killed 4 two weeks #iranelection
[StopAhmadi]11 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Vitruvius is right. I don’t get it why this is big deal for anyone outside of Jackson’s family, and I certainly don’t know why FNW has preempted regular programming to cover this.
Of course in 1979, I’d was probably listening to stuff like Beyond the Realms of Death instead of Roller Rink Music
Mikey wasn’t alone in the personal degradation, I recall seeing pictures of Farrah (was it Playboy?) that were pretty rough. But it seems to me she may have found a kind of redemption, we’ll maybe never know with Michael. I’ll miss big Ed more.
Jackson had an awful childhood with a tyrannical father who bears some of the responsibility for Jackson’s subsequent stagnation of maturity, but only some in that Jackson was an adult and should have known better.
His questionable actions in adulthood are explicable, but not excusable. One has to wonder how he would have been if his childhood had been different.
I’m sorry he’s dead. Mostly for the children, who will certainly be at the center of a major financial custody battle in the coming weeks and months.
And if the family of Farah Fawcett wished for privacy as they mourn her, they will certainly have it now.
It is sad when a person dies.
If Jakson remained on track from the ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’, he may have had a concert to attend in London in the near future.
Jackson obviously was not happy with himself and thought that money can buy a race.
Looks like the medications caught up with him, somewhat like Elvis.
First line, bold font – even a nota bene…
…and still too subtle.
I like locopunk’s perspective http://www.instapunk.com/#IP1773
Ben:
What exactly did Kate write that was “angry” or “insensitive”?
Yeah, that empty silence is what I thought you would say.
David Carradine is all but forgotten . . . .
MainStreamMedia must be relieved to have a real story to chew on, now that their reporters were kicked out of Iran. They are all over this story, dredging up every B-list celebrity with a remote connection to Jackson.
Maybe Ahmedinijad killed him to distract the world.
What a week, starts off with Charles Adler knocking one out of the park with Ignatiaff’s new theme song Rasputine. Then the Iranian’s openly demand democracy, Then Farrah Faucett dies, then Micheal Jackson not to be outdone quickly follows suit. I wonder if she waited for him at the gates or if he arrived there? Time will tell. My condolences to both of their families.
MJ ??
Dianna Ross’s revenge on Motown.
Well past its best before date
What, Ben, you have friends? And they admit it? wow.
Gotta say, always had a soft spot for the original Charlies Angles, and really think Farrah Fawcet was under estimated …
Micheal Jackson … not so much … never really thought much of his music liked a bit but not the Thriller and Bad stuff. Point to ponder, would he have lived longer had he stayed Black and not become such a freak.
Hey Kevin b, how the heck are ya. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you’re a dolt. Let me help you out. When someone writes an article with the title proclaiming what a freak show someone was upon their death then it fits my aforementioned descriptions of poor taste.
It would be one thing if mcmillian wrote this drivel because she thought of little else to say, but it’s clear that the woman goes out of her way in situations such as these to say something derogratory and provacative. It comes off as really fake and old feeling after awhile. It’s like she’s threatened by the idea that some fans may actually give a crap so she’s gonna run to the mic and fire off her 2 cents at a completely untimely moment just to show how crass she can be.
Tenebris – I think the joke below fits better.
http://www.instapunk.com/#IP1772
Make a over a billion in your lifetime – respect. Still die in debt – double respect.
I think maybe some of you could use a refresher on the old “if you don’t have anything nine to say…” routine, heck even “speak no ill of the dead”. I’m kind of surprised actually.
I was always curious about his scientific experiment to extend life. We finally have the results. (for sale: one slightly used hyperbaric chamber.)
The best line ever about Michael Jackson was, “only in America can a poor black boy grow up to be a rich white woman.”
Any bets on how long we’re going to have to listen to the media waffle on about Michael Jackson? Can’t watch anything else on television tonight. I think I’m glad I’ll be away from Television for at least the weekend, otherwise I’m might have to break the darn thing.
Ben – If you still have balls, try rubbing some Absorbine Jr on them. Might help you with perspective.
the Elvis Presley of his generation. With all of the trappings that entails
Ben,
I think you fail to appreciate that Kate is simply capturing and articulating popular sentiment.
I hope you can understand that we live in an age of outrageous pedophilia. A good portion of the Catholic Church’s finances have been wiped out having to pay claims against pedophilia. And this hurts no one worse, beyond the families, than the good priests who bear the brunt of it all.
Female school teachers are attacking children at a relentless pace. We’re constantly amazed to see a new one pop up.
Even up in Canada you’ve had some horrible abuses of little children. I believe one girl even conspired with her boyfriend to rape, torture, and murder her own little sister.
Now, Ben, I hope you will appreciate that many of us grew up in a world where this was unheard of. We left the house after breakfast in the summertims and roamed at will, showing back up for supper, and it never occurred to any of us that it was dangerous.
Then we come to someone like Michael Jackson, someone who is conspicuously insulated from the law and from public opinion by his wealth, his lawyers, and his publicists, because he’s a talented guy.
I think you can understand that people like us who have been watching one tragic situation after another for many years could build up considerable resentment at someone who is untouchable, irrespective of his horrible acts.
Maybe you could approach it from this perpective. We do.
People die every day. I won’t miss him. The child abuse alert just went from yellow to green.
Farrah, OTOH, had real class. But again, people die every day.
Sad that someone died, but I don’t / didn’t see the talent. And he certainly was no role model.
Talking heads like Al Sharpton are on TV saying his music is timeless and he/it “will live forever.”
Moments later, they show clips of “I’m Bad”, “Billy Jean” and some other grunting and wiggling videos and they’re no less ridiculous than the Weird Al Yankovich spoofs. Jackson’s stuff is as dated and forgettable as Wham fluff.
The Beatles are timeless… maybe Elvis. I couldn’t imagine my kid ‘discovering’ Jackson in 5 years the way she will with “Yesterday”. Hell, Abba has more legs than MJ.
Jackson was the halftime show at the SuperBowl about 15 years ago, wearing a gold jockstrap outside of his black pants. He grabbed his nuts every four or five seconds.
All I could think was, “What a messed up world that people idolize this freak who plays with himself on stage.” … and “Who the heck would let their kid watch this guy, let alone leave them alone with him?”
Interesting to watch all the people who want to nail the governor of SC to the wall for having an affair are now on TV discounting Jackson’s ‘issues’ with little boys, saying, “we’ve all problems from time to time.”
Drudge says it was a final injection of Demorol that put him out of his misery…. sounds like a scene out of Pulp Fiction with a bunch of enablers trying to get their fellow junkie to wake up.
Gonna puke when Sir Elton comes out with another Candle in the Wind sequel paying tribute to another unworthy ‘star’.
P.S. – In keeping with the previous posts lamenting those forgotten in the shadow of the King’s death…. Poor Ed McMahon… bwa hahaha.
It’s going to be a long friggin’ weekend…
Mickey’s not dead. I saw him and Elvis on a yacht heading out of Honolulu harbor just yesterday.
I swear!
I never understood what the fuss was about. Now we will have weeks of faux misery from all those “who’s lives he touched” No doubt the same idiots that were blubbing in the streets when Diana Wales snuffed it. He was a deviant who abused children and got away with it because he was rich. Good riddance.
Ben………….one less child molester to worry about. Do you have a problem with that?
Rest in peace, and condolences to his family, friends and fans. Of which I am not one, however.
I still can’t stand the Jackson Five, and that squeaky, grating voice is a major reason. After a decade full of great pop tunes, suddenly good airtime was being wasted on what I might designate “bubblegum soul” (the J5 were not the only offenders; the quality of music on the charts was in serious decline after 1969). It’s not a matter of how talented he is or was (which I won’t dispute). His ’80s material doesn’t bother me as much, but give me the Smiths, Cure, Big Country, Chameleons, or Depeche Mode any day.
I have a lot of respect for the work of Phil Spector, so I certainly can’t be criticizing Jackson over his legal issues …
“Widely considered the greatest vocalist of all time”
Better than Freddy Mercury?
“How much of his success was due to his own talent, and how much to the talent of Quincy Jones?”
If I want to listen to something that showcases the talent of Quincy Jones, I dig out my Lesley Gore best-of CD.
Finally, the “King of Pop” designation is ridiculous.
You know that regardless of his foibles his life was not wasted.
Maybe he deserves some respect for what he did accomplish.
His degeneration only took hold after his meteoric success of the 80’s.
Sad and reprehensible true, yet not his whole measure.
It is pretty tragic, the comments here about a guy that did change the music scene, dance scene and started it all at the tender age of 9 years old.
In dance school, they actually call moves, “A Michael Jackson” to this day.
So say what you will but at your next family picnic, wedding or Christmas party, when the DJ plays a classic MJ, sit your a$$ down and continue being a jerk.
REST FINALLY, MICHAEL.
A scene that won’t be complete until you send your little boy home with the DJ for a sleep over.